John Aravosis at AmericaBlog has an update on the results of
Ford's meeting with 19 gay and lesbian groups today. In short, John says that from what he's heard off-the-record that he's satisfied with how the gay and lesbian representatives made their points. However, Ford has said they will get back to these groups in the next 24-48 hours about what actions they will take on this matter. John says that if Ford does not take definitive action on this matter within this time frame, he is ready to push forward with
Phase Two of the campaign against Ford.
In the meantime, I would hope that you would help do your part to keep pressure on Ford to understand the consequences of their decision to pander to the Religious Right. You can write an e-mail to Ford Motor Company executives using the e-mail addresses listed at the Ford Action Center on the left side of the AmericaBlog Homepage.
Here is the e-mail I sent to all executives listed:
Dear Ford Motor Executives:
I have been a car nut all my life. I read every car magazine every month as soon as they come out on the newsstands: Car and Driver, Motor Trend, Automobile, Road & Track, and every newspaper car supplement I can find, especially those in the New York Times. As a result, all my friends and family members consult me before they buy cars. Since your mergers with Volvo and Mazda, I can't tell you how often I have recommended Ford cars because of the engineering and safety features you have incorporated into your vehicles from these car brands. I myself was set on making my next car purchase an Escape Hybrid. My sister, an in-house lawyer for one of the world's largest investment banking firms, recently asked me what car she should buy. I was trying decide among your Land Rovers. My mother lives in northern Connecticut and needs to find a replacement for her Jeep Cherokee. I don't like Jeep's redesign of the Cherokee. My first thought was the Volvo XC90. My sister and brother-in-law are looking to buy a car for my niece when she graduates from college. When they asked me, I recommended the Mustang: it's has great style, it's well-built, and it's affordable.
You see, people listen when I make recommendations because I'm obsessive about cars. I love going along with friends and family to shop for them. They know I know what I'm talking about. Therefore, your company's decision to collude with the American Family Association to treat gays and lesbians as second class citizens was so damn stupid. You are not only alienating that portion of the population that are gay and lesbian. You are alienating those people who know and love gay and lesbian friends and family members.
You may think that gay men know little about cars. You couldn't be more wrong. As a gay man myself, I have the time, energy, and interest to research cars. While I love reading about what Europe and Japan are doing in terms of car design, I love even more when American companies get out front with innovations and design. The design of cars like the Chrysler 300C or the emergence of Cadillac's Science & Art vocabulary excite me more than Chris Bangle's creases and folds at BMW or Mercedes' gamble on more radical designs. I prefer to read about your leadership in hybrid technology or Chrysler's great Hemi engines rather than see Toyota leave everyone else in the hybrid dust. And I am not an anomaly among gays and lesbians. As any perfunctory research would show, we have more disposable income than practically any other group you can imagine. On top of that, we like to reward those who support our community with loyalty and repeat business.
Actually, let me repeat that: GAYS AND LESBIANS TREAT THOSE COMPANIES WHO RESPECT US WITH INTENSE LOYALTY AND REPEAT BUSINESS. Just ask Subaru. Or Apple Computer. Or Levi Strauss. Or American Airlines. Or Absolut Vodka. Why do you think certain entertainment artists court gays and lesbians? Because when everyone else forgets about them, we won't.
But there's a flip side to our loyalty: if you cross us, we have memories like elephants. Just ask Coors Brewery. It took a lot of outreach and good faith effort on their part to regain the business they lost once word got out in our community that the Coors family and their company were discriminating against us. We can be a forgiving bunch, but Coors wouldn't have had to waste as much money and effort as they did to win us back if they had simply treated us the way all customers should be treated: with respect and dignity.
So, ladies and gentlemen, if you think you are losing just one customer by alienating me, you are sorely mistaken. When my friends and family come to me for advice, at the very least Ford, Mazda, Volvo, Land Rover, or Jaguar will not be among those cars I recommend. To my friend's who share my progressive values, I will bad mouth your companies to no end and even if they have their hearts set on one of your cars, I will do my best to show them more worthy alternatives. To my Republican family members, I will do the same but also mention how you sold-out to bigotry over dignity. My family may be Republicans out of habit, but they don't like seeing others discriminate against the son, brother, uncle, or nephew they love with every fiber of their beings.
Like I said, my fellow gay and lesbian brothers and sisters can be a forgiving bunch. But this knuckled headed move on your part won't be forgotten anytime soon. I for one have been left with a truly nasty taste in my mouth.
Sincerely yours,
John M. Campanelli
Southbury, Connecticut
UPDATE: Matt in AA points out that Ford has a released [a statement http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=4018] that in essence says that they will continue to side with the Religious Right Hate Merchants. I hope everyone here will follow [AmericaBlogs plans for the Next Phase in this campaign http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/12/id-like-your-help-planning-next-phase.html]